1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to page clamps and, more particularly, to page clamps that can be clamped to a cover of a book without extending substantially outside the periphery of the cover.
2. BACKGROUND ART
Page clamps are utilized to secure pages of a book on pages and a cover of a book together in a manner known in the art to facilitate reading of the book. A problem with prior art page clamps is that they cannot readily be clamped to the cover of a closed book when not in use. Moreover, even if clamped to the cover of a closed book, the prior art page clamps typically extend a substantial distance outside the periphery of the cover thus rendering it difficult to store the book with page clamp attached. Because of these problems, page clamps are typically disassociated from the book during storage and have to be found for subsequent use. However, when separated from the book, the prior art page clamps are often lost or not retrieved for subsequent reading of the book.
Moreover, a bookmark is often placed between pages to mark the location in a book where subsequent reading should commence. However, bookmarks are typically disassociated from the book during reading or after the conclusion of reading and have to subsequently be found for subsequent use. However, when separated from the book, bookmarks are often best or not retrieved for subsequent use.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to overcome the above problems and others by providing a page clamp that can be attached to a cover of a book substantially within the periphery of the cover. It is an object of the present invention to provide a page clamp which includes an integral bookmark holder. Still other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description.
Accordingly, I have invented a page clamp having a first blade and a second blade connected in opposition. Each blade has a first end and a second end. A biasing means biases the second ends of the blades toward each other. A clip has a clip body disposed in space relation to a face of the second blade opposite the first blade. The clip body has first end connected to the face of the second blade opposite the first blade. The clip body extends toward and terminates at a second end between the first and second ends of the second blade.
A pivoting means pivotally connects the blades together and the biasing means can bias the pivoting means. The pivoting means can include a pair of arms extending from each blade toward the other blade. The pair of arms of the first blade overlap the pair of arms of the second blade and at least one pivot is projected through the overlapping pair of arms. The biasing means can include a spring biased between an arm of the first blade and an arm of the second blade. The first end of the clip can be connected to the one end of the second blade or between the ends of the second blade.
The face of the first blade opposite the second blade can include a plurality of tabs which define with the face a plurality of gaps. The plurality of gaps can be configured to receive an edge of a bookmark therein when the bookmark is received on the face. The first blade can include a rim which extends between two or more of the tabs and normal to the face.
The bookmark can be formed at least in part of magnetic material. The first blade can include magnetic material for magnetically attracting the bookmark to the first blade. The first blade can include a face on a side thereof opposite the second blade. The face of the first blade can include the magnetic material and the bookmark can be positioned on the face of the first blade and held thereto by magnetic attraction. The magnetic material of the first blade can include one or more magnets and the magnetic material of the bookmark can include one or more magnets.
Preferably, the clip is formed from a material having a spring memory that enables the second end of the clip to more away from the face of the second blade when a cover of a book is inserted therebetween and to return to a position adjacent to or touching the face of the second blade when the cover of the book is extracted from therebetween.
I have also invented an apparatus for securing pages of a book together. The apparatus includes a clamp having a first end, a second end and first and second members positioned in opposition and converging from the first end to the second end. A biasing means biases the first and second members toward each other at the second end of the clamp. The apparatus includes a clip having a first end fixedly connected to a face of the second member opposite the first member and a clip body which extends in spaced relation with the face of the second member toward the one end of the clamp and terminating in a second end between the first end of the clip and the second end of the clamp.
The clip body can include adjacent a second end thereof a laterally extending tab which extends beyond a periphery of the second member. The first member can include magnetic material that attracts a bookmark that includes magnetic material.
Lastly, I have invented a page clamp for securing the pages of a book. The page clamp includes a clamp having a pair of outward facing faces and a pair of opposed faces defined by a pair of sides which converges adjacent one end of the clamp. A clip is positioned in spaced relation with one of the outward facing faces. The clip has one end connected to the one outward facing face and a second end bias by the clip toward the one outward facing face.